Indicating dehydrator



Sept. 28,1926. I 1 ,601,308

' L. H. Hl LL INDICATING DFEHYDRATOR' Filed Oct. 14 1924.

. l4 WITNESSES: INVENTOR Le/and h. /7/'// w- BY ATTORNEY Patented Sept.28, 1926.

1,601,308 PATENT OFFICE.

LELAND H.- HILL, OF swIssvALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE.ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

INnIcArINe DEHYDRATOR.

Application filed October 14, 1924. Serial No. 743,576.

My invention relates to fluid-insulated electrical translating devicesand particularly to devices for preventing the access of moisture to theinsulating fluid.

One object of my invenion is to provide a device for chemically treatingair or other gases entering an electrical translating device that shallindicate the condition of the chemical compoun therein by showing therelative position of the chemical compound within the device.

Another object ofmy invention is to .provide a device for treating airor other gases that shall be unitary in form and adapted to attachmentto electrical translating devices already in service.

A further object ofmy invention is to provide a device that shall causeair or other gases passing there-through to traverse a chemical compoundthat is movably-mounted in order to indicate its state of chemicalexhaustion by giving a visual indication of the relative position of thechemical within the device.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, partially in'elevation and partially in section, ofan electrical translating device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 1s a view in elevation of the gastreating device embodying myinvention.

Fig. 3 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, ofthe gas-treating de vice shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of aregulator valve con-- stituting a detail of the gas treating device.

My invention comprises, in general, an electrical translating device 1,such as a transformer, that is partially filled with insulating fluid 2,such as oil, above which there is confined an atmosphere 3 of gas and adevice 4 containing suitable chemical'material for removing deleteriousingredients, such as water, from the air or gas drawn 1nto thetranslating device 1 during the process of inbreathing.

- The gas-treating device 4 comprises a main casing 5 having aperforated top or cover member 6 and a bottom plate 7 that is secured tothe main portion 5 by screws 8. The main casing 5 is provided withsuitable lugs 9 and 11 for securing the device 4' to the translatingdevice 1. The bottom plate 7 is provided with a centrally-located,upwardlyextending'apertured lug. 12 and a downa threaded cap 14. Thedownwardl wardly projecting portion 13 that supports rojecting portion13 is provided with s 0t? 15 behind which a transparent medium 16, su.chas glass, is mounted. The portion 13 is marked with suitable indicia,such as full and refill, for cooperation with a pointer 27 in a mannerhereinafter described.

Referring toFig. 3, a coil spring 17 is mounted centrally of the uppersurface of the bottom member 7 which, in turn, supports a' container 18for achemical compound 19 that is confined by a porous member 20, suchas a screen. In electrical trans lating devices, it is particularlydesirable that moisture be excluded from coming into contact with theinsulating oil 2 for the reason that the presence of Water in such oilslessens their-dielectric properties. and tends to create undesirablesludges therein. Accordingly, the container 18 is usually filled with adehydrating compound, such as-calcium chloride, although other chemicalcomv pounds may be employed, according to the member 23 of the container18 with which it has a sliding fit. Another pipe or duct 24 extends fromthe cover 6 to the gas space 3 in the translating device 1. The bottommember 25 of the container 18 carries a centrally disposed rod 26 thatterminates in a pointer 27 that cooperates with the indicia on theportion 13 for indicating the condition of the gas-treating device, inthe man-t5 ner hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, the gas-treating device 4 is provided with aregulating valve 31 that is attached to the casing 5. The regulatingvalve comprises two similar check-valve units 32 both of whichcommunicate with the interior of the casing 5 through an auxiliarychamber 33 constitutin a portion of the casing 5. Each of the va veunits 32 comprises a ball 34 thatis movable between a pair of seatmembers 35 and 36 in such manner that the force. of gravity always tendsto keep the ball 34 in cooperation with one of the seat members 35 and36, thereby efl'ectively closing the valve to the passage of gas. Theupper unit 32 is provided with a rain cap 37 for'preventing the accessof dust or moisture thereto.

Upon the occurrence of an increase in the volume of gas 3 contained inthe electrical translating device 1, as by a reduction in thetemperature of the constituent parts of the translating device 1, thepressure gradient between the atmosphere and the interior of the casing5 across the regulating valve 31 becomes sufliciently great to causeball 34 of the lower unit 32 to be slightly lifted from its seat 36,thereby permitting a certain amount of air or gas to enter the chamber33. This gas surrounds the screen walls 20 of the container 18, and themoisture carried in suspension by the gas is absorbed by the calciumchloride. Inasmuch as the electrical translating device 4 is connecteddirectly to the pipe 24, which, in turn is con-,

nected to the pipe 22, the lower end of which is surrounded b thechemical compound 19, a pressure gra ient exists across the later.Accordingly, the gas surrounding the container 18 tends to seep throughthe chemical compound 19 and enter the electrical translating device 1through the ducts 22 and 24. During the passage of the gas through thechemical compound 19, the latter undergoes a certain amount of chemicaldecomposition or exhaustion that is recorded in the increase of itsweight. The increased weight of the chemical compound 19 causes thespring 17 to be compressed, with the resultvthat the container 18 andthe rod 26 settle relatively to the bottom member 7 of'the device 5. Thedownward movement of the rod 26 causes the pointer 27 toassume-successively lower glance, the de ree of exhaustion of thechemical compoun 19.

In the event that the pressure in the gas space 3 becomes greater thanatmospheric pressure, a certain amount of gas is discharged through theduct 22 and the chamber 33 to the upper check-valve unit 32, the ball 34of which is lifted from its seat 35 to permit the escape of a quantityof gas to the atmosphere. While I have shown the two unitsof theregulator 31 to operate at the same pressure, it is obvious that, bychanging the area of the balls 34 in the seats 35 and 36 it will bepossible to cause one unit to operate at a different pressure fromtheother, when it is desired that inbreathing of the electrical device 1shall take plage at a lower pressure than outbreathmg It will thus beseen that I haveprovided a gas-treating device for electricaltranslatlng devices that is characterized by indicating the degree ofexhaustion of the chemical compound therein by showing the position ofthe chemical compound relative to its housing at all times.

It is understood that such various changes in the disposition of theparts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in thespecification may be made as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A gas-treating device comprising a casing, a gas ductextendingtherein, a chemical container within the casing guided by thegas duct, means for movably supporting the chemical container and meansfor indicating the position of the container within the casing.

2. A gas-treating device comprising 3, casing, a gas duct extendingtherein, a chemical container within the casln surrounding'the open endof the duct, and means for movably supporting the chemical container;

3. A gas-treating device comprising :1 casing, a gas .duct extendingtherein, a chemical container within the casing surrounding the open endof the duct, means for movably supporting the chemical container and ameans for indicating the positionpf the container within the casing. Y

4. A gas-treating device comprising a' casing, a gas duct extendingtherein, a chemical container within the casing surrounding the open endof the duct, means for movably supporting the chemical container, andmeans cooperating with the duct for controlling the gas. movementthrough the casing.

5. A gas-treating device comprising a casing, a gas duct extendingdownwardly therein, a chemical container within the casing surroundingthe open end of the duct, means for movably supporting the chemicalcontainer and means attached to the casing for cooperating with the ductfor controlling the gas movement through the casing.

6. A gas-treating device comprising a casing, a gas duct extendingtherein, a chemical compound surrounding the open end of the duct, meansfor movably supporting the chemical compound and means for indicatingthe position of the chemical compound within the casing. v

7. A gas-treating device comprising a casing, a gas duct extendingtherein, a chemical compound surrounding the open end of the ductwhereby the gas traversing the duct is subjected to the chemicalcompound, means for movably supporting the chemical com- .pound andmeans for indicating the position of the chemical compound within thecasing.

8. A gas-treating device comprising a casing, a gas duct extendingtherein, a chemical compound, the weight of which changes with itschemical exhaustion, surrounding the open end of the duct whereby thegas trav-, -ersing the duct is subjectedto the chemical compound, meansfor movably supporting the chemical compound and means for indicatingthe position of the chemical com-' pound within the casing.

9. A gas-treating device comprising a casing, a gas-duct extendingtherein, a chemical compound, the weight of which changes with itschemical exhaustion, surrounding the open end of the duct whereby thegas trav-- ersingthe duct is subjected to the chemical compound, meansfor movably supporting the chemical compound'and means for indicatingthe condition of the chemical compound by indicating its position withinthe.

casing.

10. A gas-treating device comprising a casing, 21 gas duct extendingtherein, a body of de-hydrating compound surrounding the open end of theduct whereby the gas traversing the duct is subjected to thede-hydrating compound, means for movably supporting the de-hydratingmaterial and means for indicating the condition of the de-hydratingcompound by indicating its position within the-casing.

In' testimonywhereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day ofOctober, 1924.

LELAND H.

